Gamestops definition of "New"

[PizzaKat]

This evening I stopped by EB Games which is the Canadian Gamestop since Gamestop owns the chains. Anyways I was browsing through and noticed they actually had PSP games. One caught my eye it was a JRPG game I totally forgot the name but it looked interesting from the back (NES days) and was going to pick it up. I went to the front and the guy got the game from a bottom cabinet.. Since the game said new I figured the empty case was a display case. So I asked him I wanted one wrapped. He's like it is and its never been never used. So I just declined it.

Now I don't hate the chain. These guys are always cool and helpful but this was just shady. They would never accept a game from me if I insisted it was new and never been used so why should they do this. He told me it was the last copy but for some reason they had a few more empty cases on the rack. ?????? Anyways it was disappointing to say the least. I also forgot to ask about wave 3 amiibos. :grrr: The way Nintendo has handled this has been awful.

[kai123]

I have given up on Gamestop completely I will only go there if I have to or just to kill time while the wife shops at the mall. I get all my new games on Amazon or from Best Buy. I only go to Best Buy because I got their Game Club Unlocked discount cheap so I get 20% off all new games for 2 years.

[ProjectCamaro]

That always pissed me off too about them. I went a very long time not stopping in but found a game last year for a great deal brand new (Don't remember the game). When I took the case to the front they pulled a sealed copy from the drawer and put my case back in the shelf. I assumed they listened to their customers and changed how they did business but I guess I just got lucky. Like you I would have walked out too.

[FieryReign]

They've been doing that shit for years, it's nothing new. They tried that garbage with me years ago for a PS2 game. The disc was in a cardboard sleeve and had freaking scatches on it. I obviously denied it and called them out. I was kindly asked to leave.

I guess people just tolerate the shady tactics. I remember trading in complete gameboy/gba games and the guy working there literally took the cartridges out and tossed the boxes/booklets in the garbage next to us. They don't care about games or gamers, just shoving preorders and magazine subscriptions down your throats.

[Tanooki]

This evening I stopped by EB Games which is the Canadian Gamestop since Gamestop owns the chains. Anyways I was browsing through and noticed they actually had PSP games. One caught my eye it was a JRPG game I totally forgot the name but it looked interesting from the back (NES days) and was going to pick it up. I went to the front and the guy got the game from a bottom cabinet.. Since the game said new I figured the empty case was a display case. So I asked him I wanted one wrapped. He's like it is and its never been never used. So I just declined it.

Now I don't hate the chain. These guys are always cool and helpful but this was just shady. They would never accept a game from me if I insisted it was new and never been used so why should they do this. He told me it was the last copy but for some reason they had a few more empty cases on the rack. ?????? Anyways it was disappointing to say the least. I also forgot to ask about wave 3 amiibos. :grrr: The way Nintendo has handled this has been awful.

So wait, it's 2015 and you never heard of this or had it happen to you before? They've done this for as long as maybe 5-10 years back or more. About how they had extra cases, another thing they do not announce is they'll let employees 'rent' a game out so they can be informed, or at least some places did (manager discretion?) and perhaps some copies just didn't get returned or they were shipped spare cases. I know they've been peddling used as NEW unsealed games in the Gamecube/GBA era but I can't remember if they did it earlier. I stopped buying "new" games from them many years ago when I got into it with the manager at the counter over kind of what you said. I can't return an unsealed new game I opened up and ended up not wanting to play, yet they can open it up, stuff it into an old CD slip case, check it out as employees, and then still charge me for it being new. And often I had thrown in that new copy the nintendo code would be stolen and the manuals well used, greased up, ripped and manhandled...yet it's still new. Unless I could get a sealed game and not them resealed, I wouldn't buy even if they were the only dude in town with it. Eventually I just stopped buying entirely as they offer nothing of value except in the rare case of some silly holiday sale where they spank even cheap online deals and that's rare.

[Gameguy]

When I took the case to the front they pulled a sealed copy from the drawer and put my case back in the shelf. I assumed they listened to their customers and changed how they did business but I guess I just got lucky.
It depends on how many copies of a game they got shipped to them. With some games they only get sent one or two copies so those will be opened and put on display, only with the popular games will they get sent a bunch of copies. Unless it's a game that's been there for years and it just happened to be the last copy left. Usually it's the uncommon games that they'll only be sent a few copies, the ones that you can easily get at a store like Wal-Mart will be well stocked and available sealed.

As for EB Games or Gamestop, I basically stopped going in as they only carry modern consoles which I have little to no interest in. Or for consoles I do have like the DS, the prices haven't been reduced to reflect their current selling prices so I don't bother buying anything. The odd time I might browse through and look at what they have, but it's been ages since I've purchased anything there.

[kai123]

It is true employees can check out new games. I worked at a gamestop for about 3 years as a manager. It is manager's discretion but they all do it unless they are a high shrink store. I actually worked at EB games before they were bought out by Gamestop. EB Games paid better as well.

[The Adventurer]

Since the game said new I figured the empty case was a display case.


And that's your mistake right there.

[celerystalker]

Yup, this is nothing new, and it's frustrating. What's really infuriating is if you actually buy one, they put that round sticker on the case to "seal" it, which sometimes leaves a residue all over the case. I shouldn't have to clean sticker gunk off of an opened game for which I just paid full retail. Absurd.

[ZeroCool]

same old

[PizzaKat]

It depends on how many copies of a game they got shipped to them. With some games they only get sent one or two copies so those will be opened and put on display, only with the popular games will they get sent a bunch of copies. Unless it's a game that's been there for years and it just happened to be the last copy left. Usually it's the uncommon games that they'll only be sent a few copies, the ones that you can easily get at a store like Wal-Mart will be well stocked and available sealed.

As for EB Games or Gamestop, I basically stopped going in as they only carry modern consoles which I have little to no interest in. Or for consoles I do have like the DS, the prices haven't been reduced to reflect their current selling prices so I don't bother buying anything. The odd time I might browse through and look at what they have, but it's been ages since I've purchased anything there.

I'm just checking their Wii games where I did get Red Steele 2. It looks interesting and pretty cheap. I managed to find a few Gamecube games on the cheap a couple of years back that are expensive. Doesnt hurt to check their old games once in awhile. Im also checking their amiibo stock for the new wave. Thats pretty much the reason Ive stepped in these stores the last few months.

[Niku-Sama]

in my mind that "new copy" on the shelf should be sold as used
New for a game is unopened, even if its like new when its opened its used, even if it hasn't seen the inside of a console yet.

and yes, complete bull shit on their part.
same bull shit that they throw all their used DS game cases away and sell them all loose, what kind of shit is that? you don't do it with any other game?
its just a terrible company any more

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

I remember a number of years ago, there was a report of them claiming that the games were new and hadn't been loaned out to employees. They got busted on that, though, when someone took one of their "new" carts, I believe a GBA or something like that, popped it into a system in the store in front of the manager and there was a saved game on it.

[xelement5x]

This comes with the GS buying territory. I've learned to adjust my expectations accordingly and check everything that I get from them right away in case there are issues.

That said, a lot of their prices on games at the end of retail are very low and worth taking advantage of if you can find them. I'm always friendly with my local one and they treat me right so I still spend money with them.

Plus, buying LE games from Amazon is a shipping crapshot whether or not it will get crushed in a bubble mailer, so I order those locally normally and am happy to pay a couple extra bucks in tax to not have to worry about multiple returns.

[Greg2600]

With all the DLC/DRM codes and such, I just wouldn't trust an opened game. Not when you can buy the game physically probably at half dozen other electronics or big box retailers.

[retroman]

I do not like that they do that either, but I have bought a few games from them like that. Only because that said title was hard to find, and that was the last one.

[megasdkirby]

It doesnt matter to me anymore...for the most part. If the last copy is in prestine condition, I will let it pass. I mean, its nice to get it sealed, but Im goong to open it anyway, so no biggie for me.

My gripe is when its labeled as "new" and it looks like shit. I refuse to pick it up in said condition. Now if its labeld as "used" and cheaper, I will let it slide.

[BlastProcessing402]

When I took the case to the front they pulled a sealed copy from the drawer and put my case back in the shelf.

That's what they've always done in the 20+ years I've been shopping at GS and their predecessors, regardless of the location. Display cases with the games pulled out and put into envelopes are only for when the sealed ones are sold out.

[Bubble_Man]

I'm the same way. Now when I shop there, I just start by asking the worker "do you have this still in the plastic"? If they do, I buy it. If not, I politely thank the employee for taking the time to check and head on my way.

[GreatBazunka]

...Now I don't hate the chain...

I DO...
I never shop at gamestop because they barely ever have anything I want. And as I agree that video games are awesome, they treat them like it is fort knox. Hiding "NEW" games under the counters so Sticky Fingers Jr doesn't slip one into his backpack.....

Plus I just don't like them. Call me prejudice, but just walking into the place makes me sick. The associates are always obnoxious and removing the labels that they insist on sticking to their games gives me hemorrhoids.

And as a testament to how often I visit the place, every time I go in there I ask for the "oldest" system that I think they still carry and they tell me "we stopped carrying that 3 years ago...". The last time this happened I was looking for GBA.

I stick to ebay and the Game Exchange which is a chain we have around Pittsburgh. They actually carry old stuff like Atari still.

[SparTonberry]

I DO...
I never shop at gamestop because they barely ever have anything I want. And as I agree that video games are awesome, they treat them like it is fort knox. Hiding "NEW" games under the counters so Sticky Fingers Jr doesn't slip one into his backpack.....

With that point I have to say... it's called 'security'. Nearly every store does it in some form. :P
At Target or Walmart (in general), you have to find and wait for someone to unlock the game from the case. (with the latter store my experience is much more emphasized :P )
I can remember when Best Buy used to (like in the 16-bit era) put every game in anti-theft boxes, but I see in recent years they shifted to only doing it with high theft-risk games like Pokemon.

[Tanooki]

Target has a nice middle ground setup where no game is molested and one for customers is still sealed in a tethered down on a steel cord snap case so you can see the front and back of the box. That's all anyone should be allowed to do with a 'NEW' product, not what cheapskate gamestop does opening up stuff to sell 'new' when it no longer is. Walmart just uses the classic locked glass case, Meijer does this as well unless they're $20 or less dumper titles or used reseals they get in, those are just loose but shrink wrapped still.

[Nophix]

They're doing it with consoles, too.

I bought my Vita BL2 bundle there because it was the only place local that had them in stock. As I'm walking out, I noticed the security tape was torn open.

Glad I took it out of the bag as I was leaving, and looked. BL2 is a download code. Guess what was missing?

Looking at the boxes, for all systems, they were all open. Apparently they "inspect" them. He did happen to have a BL2 bundle that hadn't been inspected yet, I told him I'd take that one.

I've had issues with this store and things that come with DL codes not working.

[FieryReign]

They're doing it with consoles, too.

I bought my Vita BL2 bundle there because it was the only place local that had them in stock. As I'm walking out, I noticed the security tape was torn open.

Glad I took it out of the bag as I was leaving, and looked. BL2 is a download code. Guess what was missing?

Looking at the boxes, for all systems, they were all open. Apparently they "inspect" them. He did happen to have a BL2 bundle that hadn't been inspected yet, I told him I'd take that one.

I've had issues with this store and things that come with DL codes not working.

So they tried to swindle you and you still gave them your money? Why do people continue to complain about Gameslop, yet turn around and still give them business? If you want them to go away, stop supporting them.

[The Adventurer]

So they tried to swindle you and you still gave them your money? Why do people continue to complain about Gameslop, yet turn around and still give them business? If you want them to go away, stop supporting them.

There are a bunch of reasons that might have happened. And none of them have to do with actively trying to 'swindle' you.



Gamestop opens their games because they keep the discs/carts behind the counter. Because if they don't, even if they leave games in their sealed plastic, they get stolen in droves. So either everything gets locked behind glass, or the games have to be removed. I'll take the former.

[Tanooki]

Actually Fiery there is right, they did try and actively swindle him. You should have just taken the thing back and walked out.

This was in the media not too many years ago, but Gamestop had a stake in an online service that butted heads with Square-Enix so they opened up every single thing from them and removed the sheets of paper inside for a month or 3 of free access to their online gaming network services. This caused one hell of an online shit storm, and Gamestop didn't relent on it and made no apologies because they refused to have a competitor sell a service in their stores that did what they had an offering on too. Gamestop will open up product and remove things if they have some money sunk into a similar service. As far as I'm concerned and many others, it's illegal, you're buying something new from a retailer that comes from the maker of the product, and you have the retailer stealing stuff from the box and then lying and selling it new without telling you up front they removed stuff. Their own policy won't allow returns on games if they're bought new and have been opened, but you won't know they robbed you until you re-open the supposedly unopened product they busted open to steal from.

[The Adventurer]

More likely either someone made a mistake, or an employee stole the code.

[Nophix]

So they tried to swindle you and you still gave them your money? Why do people continue to complain about Gameslop, yet turn around and still give them business? If you want them to go away, stop supporting them.

Because I had already paid for it, and it was easier to just do an exchange.

The other incident happened a couple years ago, and the store has all new employees. I normally shop at a local game store or Best Buy, but I wanted the console before an out of town excursion, and GS was the only place that had it in stock.

Worst case scenario, my credit card has killer fraud protection.